Gyanvapi Mosque | Supreme Court Agrees To Hear Tomorrow Masjid Committee's Plea Against HC Order For Scientific Survey Of 'Shivling'

The Anjuman Islamia Masjid committee (which manages Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi) moved the Supreme Court against the Allahabad High Court’s order last week for a scientific survey of a structure inside the mosque, which the Hindu plaintiffs claim to be a 'Shivling'. Senior Advocate Huzefa Ahmadi mentioned the matter before CJI DY Chandrachud for urgent listing, upon which the CJI agreed to list it tomorrow. 

Ahmadi submitted that the High Court passed the order even as the judgment on the petition filed by the Masjid Committee questioning the maintainability of the suit has been reserved since December 2022.

The Allahabad High Court, on May 12, directed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to conduct a scientific survey (using modern techniques) of the 'Shiva Linga' that has purportedly been found inside the Gyanvapi Mosque premises in Varanasi to ascertain its age. The order was passed by the bench of Justice Arvind Kumar Mishra-I while allowing a revision plea moved by 4 women Hindu worshippers challenging the Varanasi Court's October 14 order wherein the court had rejected their plea.

A prayer for a scientific probe of the 'Shiva Linga' was earlier made before the Varanasi Court in September 2022, however, the same was rejected taking into account the Supreme Court's May 17 order to protect the spot where the "Shiva Linga" was claimed to have been found.

Just yesterday, a Varanasi District Court granted till May 19 to the Anjuman Islamia Masjid committee to file their reply/objection, if any, on an application filed by 4 Hindu women worshippers seeking a survey of the entire Gyanvapi mosque premises by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to find out as to whether the Mosque had been constructed over a pre-existing structure of the Hindu temple.